A southern Indiana center was launching a fundraising effort in hopes it can add staff to help interview children who may have been abused or neglected.

Susie's Place has seen the number of cases it handles rise from 192 in 2011 to an expected 500 this year.

Executive Director Emily Perry told The Herald-Times the nonprofit center has just one full-time child forensic interviewer and needs another.

The center hopes a June 6 fundraiser brings in $60,000 so it can hire another interviewer.

Perry said she also wants to expand the center by launching a pediatric sexual assault nurse examiner program. The program would eliminate the need for young victims of sexual abuse to travel to Indianapolis for an examination.